Overloaded trailer update, it gets worse...

(quoted from post at 16:19:46 08/10/14) I overlooked an important fact in my post yesterday. I was so hyped up on my guys hauling 16,000# that I forgot we had my toro dingo mini skid steer in there too!!!!!!! That would 18,000# in a 14k trailer. Nice. If you missed it, we have had training on this before and my managers know what can or cannot be hauled. They just blew it. I stated I use only solid drawbars rated to 15,000# because that was the best I could find, maybe it save my rearend? Some guys on here were wondering about these bars, here"s the ones I buy, item #EMH2 from CR Brophy. I think their website is crbrophy.com. I think you"ll have to find a dealer for them, I am one since I have to buy so much of this stuff. They sell other brands in stores too. I also use these Brophy drawbars because they take a ball with a 1.25" bolt instead of just 1" which offers a little more strength. Guess they must work if we went bouncing down the road overloaded quite a bit!

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I understand your frustration as you are probably the one who ends up paying the overweight fines.
In reality though any well built trailer will more than easily handle the extra weight without a problem.
The ratings you are going by are what keep the dot guys happy.
18000 lbs on a 14000lb rated trailer if loaded right would put a minimum 10% on the hitch reducing the load on the trailer to 16200 lbs, shift the load a little more forward and your axle weights would probably be acceptable at the scales if your registration weight was high enough to cover the load.
Some regions allow you to haul 10% over registered weight during the winter, that combined with 10% tounge weight would near make it a legal load.
Off road I have hauled loads that would make an inspector roll his eyes and the equipment handled it without a problem.
All im trying to say is yes get on there case hard for not following what they were told but likley your equipmet is no worse for wear.

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(quoted from post at 06:39:17 08/11/14)

I understand your frustration as you are probably the one who ends up paying the overweight fines.
In reality though any well built trailer will more than easily handle the extra weight without a problem.
The ratings you are going by are what keep the dot guys happy.
18000 lbs on a 14000lb rated trailer if loaded right would put a minimum 10% on the hitch reducing the load on the trailer to 16200 lbs, shift the load a little more forward and your axle weights would probably be acceptable at the scales if your registration weight was high enough to cover the load.
Some regions allow you to haul 10% over registered weight during the winter, that combined with 10% tounge weight would near make it a legal load.
Off road I have hauled loads that would make an inspector roll his eyes and the equipment handled it without a problem.
All im trying to say is yes get on there case hard for not following what they were told but likley your equipmet is no worse for wear.

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I knew there would be someone who would defend overloads. Look, you do what you want, but 18K on a 14K trailer, plus trailer weight, is way beyond what that trailer was designed for. It's way beyond what the brakes are designed for. It's likely also way, way over what the tires are designed for unless they are upgraded. What you do off road or on the farm is one thing. What you do on a highway full of people is, hopefully, another thing. There is no "safe" way to exceed the WR of any trailer for highway use. Yeah, the trailer may or may not "take it" but how do you plan on stopping that mess when Nana and the grand babies pull out of a blind driveway in front of you? Wait! I know the answer. "I'll take it easy." Right, that works every time. NOT!

Getting away with something a few times does not mean it's a great idea and that those WR's are just there for show. Hauling a grossly overloaded trailer, especially behind a pickup, is never a good idea.

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(quoted from post at 13:25:31 08/11/14)

(quoted from post at 06:39:17 08/11/14)

I understand your frustration as you are probably the one who ends up paying the overweight fines.
In reality though any well built trailer will more than easily handle the extra weight without a problem.
The ratings you are going by are what keep the dot guys happy.
18000 lbs on a 14000lb rated trailer if loaded right would put a minimum 10% on the hitch reducing the load on the trailer to 16200 lbs, shift the load a little more forward and your axle weights would probably be acceptable at the scales if your registration weight was high enough to cover the load.
Some regions allow you to haul 10% over registered weight during the winter, that combined with 10% tounge weight would near make it a legal load.
Off road I have hauled loads that would make an inspector roll his eyes and the equipment handled it without a problem.
All im trying to say is yes get on there case hard for not following what they were told but likley your equipmet is no worse for wear.

Click to expand...

I knew there would be someone who would defend overloads. Look, you do what you want, but 18K on a 14K trailer, plus trailer weight, is way beyond what that trailer was designed for. It's way beyond what the brakes are designed for. It's likely also way, way over what the tires are designed for unless they are upgraded. What you do off road or on the farm is one thing. What you do on a highway full of people is, hopefully, another thing. There is no "safe" way to exceed the WR of any trailer for highway use. Yeah, the trailer may or may not "take it" but how do you plan on stopping that mess when Nana and the grand babies pull out of a blind driveway in front of you? Wait! I know the answer. "I'll take it easy." Right, that works every time. NOT!

Getting away with something a few times does not mean it's a great idea and that those WR's are just there for show. Hauling a grossly overloaded trailer, especially behind a pickup, is never a good idea.

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Bret4207
Not sure what you read to make you think I was defending going down the road with an overloaded trailer.
I was merly pointing out to the OP that the worst of his problem was the actions of his employees and that the equipment probably did not incur any damage.
I gave some examples of situations when a trailer carries more than it is rated for without any damage being caused to it.
I do not nor have I ever condonded taking an unsafe load down the road, I have family out there too.

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